The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-08-11
A MODEL MILLIONAIRE.

A MODEL MILLIONAIRE.
Unless one is wealthy there is no
good in being a charming fellow.
Romance is the privilege of the rich,
not the profession of the unemployed.
The poor should be practical and
prosaic. 1t is better to have a perma-
nent income than to be fascinating.
These are the great truths of modern
life which Hughie Erskine never real
lied. Poor Hughie! intellectually, we
must admit he was not of much i'm
portance. He never said either bril-
liant or ill-natured thing in his life.
But then he was wonderfully good
looking, with his crisp brown hair, his
clear-cut profile. and his gray eyes.
He was as popular with the men as he
was with the women, and he had every
accomplishment except that of making
money. His father had bequeathed
him his cavalry sword and History
of the Peninsular War in fifteen vol
umes. Hughie hung the first over his
lookingglass, put the second on a
shelf between Ruf7s Guide and Baileys
Magazine. and lived on two hundred
year that an old aunt allowed him.
He had tried everything. He had gone.
on the stock-exchange for six months;
but what was a butterfly to do among
bulls and bears? He had been tea
merchant for little longer, but had
soon tired of Pekoe and Souchong.
Then he tried selling dry sherry. That
did not answer. Ultimately he be-
came nothing delightful, Intellectual
young man with a perfect profile and
no money,
To make matters worse, he was in
love. The girl he loved was Laura
Merton, daughter of a retired colonel
who had lost his temper and his di-
gestion in India, and never found
either of them again. Laura adored
him, and he was ready to kiss
her shoestrings. They were the hand
soonest couple in London, and had not
penny-piece between them. The
colonel was very fond of Hughie, but
he would not hear of any engagement.
Come to me, my boy, when you
have got f10, 900 of your own, and we
will see about it" he used to say; and
Hughie looked very glum on those
days. and had to go to Laura for con-
ISOLATION.
One morning,as he was on his way to
Holland park, where the Mertons lived,
he dropped in to see a great friend of
his, Alan Trevor. Trevor was a paint
er Indeed, few persons escape that
nowadays. But he was also an artist,
and artists are rather rare. Person
ally he was strange, rough fellow,
with a freckled face and red hair.
4 l., l. Nl,.N fpVsV In
he was real master, and his pictures
were eagerly sought after. He had
been very much attracted by Hughie,
at first, it must be acknowledged, en-
tirely on account of his good looks.
1.-The only people painter should
know" he used to say, ''are people
who are bette and beautiful; people
who are an artistic pleasure to look al
and an intellectual repose to talk to
Dandies and darlings rule the world?
However, after he got to know Hughie
better, he liked him quite as much fol
his bright, buoyant spirit and his gen.
erous, reckless nature, and had given
him the permanent e,stree to his studio
| When Hughie came in he foune
| Trevor putting the finishing touches
to a wonderful life-size picture of {
beggar man. The beggar himself wa
standing on a raised platform in cor
ner of the studio. He was a wiZenee
old man, with a face like wrinklet
parchment, and a most piteous expires
sion. Over his shoulder was flung {
coarse brown cloak, all tears and tat
ters; his thick boots were patched ant
cobbled, and with one hand he Leaned
ON a rough stick, while with the othe
he held out his battered hat for aims
| ssWhat an amazing model" whis
pered Hughie, as he shook hands wit
his friend.
ssAn amazing modelp shouted Ire
vor at the top of his voice. 81 shoul'
think so! Such beggars as he are no
to be met with every day, A tromVialle
mon cher; a living Velasquez! M
stars! what an etching Rempraud
would have made of him!'
Poor old chap" said Hughie! Blu
! suppose to you painters, his face
is his fortune?"
Certainly" replied Trevor; ''yo
don't want beggar to look happy d
you?"
How much does model get for si
ting?" asked Hughie, as he found hin
. self comfortable seat on diyan.
"A shilling an hour"
land how much do you get for you
picture, Alan?"
''Oh, for this get thousand"
.Pounds?"
"Guineas. Painters, poets, and phi.
sicians always get guineas."
! ..Well, l think the model shoul
have percentage" said Hughie, laugl
ing; ''they work quite as hard as 20
do"
Nonsense, nonsense! Why, loo
4 q: the trouble of laying on the pail
alone. and standing all day long
ones easel. It's all very well, Hughi
for you to talk, but l assure you tn
;. there are moments when art approach
| ahe dignity of manual labor. But yc
mustn't chatter; Pm very busy. Smol
} a cigarette. and keep quiet"
After some time the servant came il
and told Trevor that the frame-mak
wanted to speak to him.
Don't run away, Hughie," he sal
as he went out. "Pll be back in m
n ment."
The old beggar-man took advantai
of Trevor's absence to rest for IN
ment on wooden bench that was b
hind him. He looked so forlorn al
wretched that Hughie could not he
pitying him, and he felt in his peck
to see what money he had. All
could find was q sovereign and son